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US 5,853,486 AGranted
Treatment system and treatment apparatus with multi-stage carrier storage chambers
AssigneeTokyo Electron Limited
InventorsYuji Ono, Katsuhiko Mihara
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A treatment system is disclosed, which has a treatment apparatus for performing a predetermined treatment for a planar workpiece contained in a carrier, and a first air-tight carrier storage chamber for storing the carrier. The treatment apparatus may also have an air-tight second carrier storage chamber. An inert gas supply pipe and an exhaust pipe are connected to each of the treatment apparatus, the first carrier storage chamber, and the second carrier storage chamber. A open/close valve device is provided for each of the inert gas supply pipes and the exhaust pipes.
Claims8
A treatment system, comprising:
- a treatment apparatus for performing a treatment for planar workpieces contained in carriers;
- and
- a first air-tight carrier storage chamber for storing said carriers,
- wherein said treatment apparatus comprises:
- a treatment chamber;
- a furnace disposed in said treatment chamber and adapted for heat-treating the planar workpieces contained in said carriers;
- second air-tight carrier storage chambers disposed in said treatment chamber and adapted for storing said carriers;
- a means for loading and unloading said carriers into said treatment chamber;
- a transfer stage disposed within said treatment chamber and adapted for holding said carriers to allow said workpieces to be removed for heat-treating by said furnace;
- a carrier elevator disposed within said treatment chamber for transferring said carriers between said loading/unloading means, said second air-tight carrier storage chambers, and said transfer stage;
- gas supply means for supplying an inert gas to said second air-tight storage chambers;
- and
- gas exhaust means for exhausting a gas from said second air-tight carrier storage chambers, and
- wherein said second air-tight carrier storage chambers are arranged in a multi-stage manner, each second air-tight carrier storage chamber having an opening, a pair of guides disposed at said opening and an independently operable door between said pair of guides for opening and closing said opening.
11 more elements
A treatment system comprising:
- a treatment apparatus for performing a treatment for planar workpieces contained in carriers;
- and
- a first air-tight carrier storage chamber for storing said carriers,
- wherein said treatment apparatus comprises:
- an air-tight treatment chamber;
- a furnace disposed in said treatment chamber and adapted for heat-treating the planar workpieces contained in said carriers;
- second carrier storage chambers disposed in said treatment chamber and adapted for storing said carriers;
- a means for loading and unloading said carriers into said treatment chamber;
- a transfer stage disposed within said treatment chamber and adapted for holding said carriers to allow said workpieces to be removed for heat-treating by said furnace;
- a carrier elevator disposed within said treatment chamber for transferring said carriers between said loading/unloading means, said second carrier storage chambers, and said transfer stage;
- a carrier elevator disposed within said treatment chamber for transferring said carriers between said loading/unloading means, said second carrier storage chambers, and said transfer stage;
- gas supply means for supplying an inert gas to said treatment chamber;
- and
- gas exhaust means for exhausting a gas from said treatment chamber, and
- wherein said second carrier storage chambers are arranged in a multi-stage manner, each second carrier storage chamber having an opening, a pair of guides disposed at said opening and an independently operable door between said pair of guides for opening and closing said opening.
12 more elements
A treatment apparatus for performing a treatment for planar workpieces contained in carriers, said treatment apparatus comprising:
- a treatment chamber;
- a furnace disposed in said treatment chamber and adapted for heat-treating the workpieces contained in the carriers;
- air-tight carrier storage chambers disposed in said treatment chamber and adapted for storing the carriers;
- a means for loading and unloading said carriers into said treatment chamber;
- a transfer stage disposed within said treatment chamber and adapted for holding said carriers to allow said workpieces to be removed for heat-treating by said furnace;
- a carrier elevator disposed within said treatment chamber for transferring said carriers between said loading/unloading means, said air-tight carrier storage chambers, and said transfer stage;
- gas supply means for supplying an inert gas to said air-tight carrier storage chambers;
- and
- gas exhaust means for exhausting a gas from said air-tight carrier storage chambers,
- wherein said air-tight carrier storage chambers are arranged in a multi-stage manner, each air-tight carrier storage chamber having an opening, a pair of guides disposed at said opening and an independently operable door between said pair of guides for opening and closing said opening.
7 more elements
A treatment apparatus for performing a treatment for planar workpieces contained in carriers, said treatment apparatus comprising:
- an air-tight treatment chamber;
- a furnace disposed in said treatment chamber and adapted for heat-treating the workpieces contained in the carriers;
- carrier storage chambers disposed in said treatment chamber and adapted for storing the carriers;
- a means for loading and unloading said carriers into said treatment chamber;
- a transfer stage disposed within said treatment chamber and adapted for holding said carriers to allow said workpieces to be removed for heat-treating by said furnace;
- a carrier elevator disposed within said treatment chamber for transferring said carriers between said loading/unloading means, said carrier storage chambers, and said transfer stage;
- gas supply means for supply an inert gas to said air-tight treatment chamber;
- and
- gas exhaust means for exhausting a gas from said treatment chamber,
- wherein said carrier storage chambers are arranged in a multi-stage manner, each carrier storage chamber having an opening, a pair of guides disposed at the opening and an independently operable door between the pair of guides for opening and closing the opening.
7 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.